Tuesday, June 2, 2026

Guest Opinion | Pablo Miralles: “Reclaiming My Time”

[Friday, May 29, 2026] Last night I attended the PUSD Board Meeting to deliver a message to the board members. I did not finish. And not because my time ran out—a minute to give a message is very short—but because I was interrupted by a loud “Not true!”, from a middle aged White male wearing a Marshall sweatshirt and then booed off the mic by a few dozen others some of whom seemed to be Blair supporters.

First I want to thank that gentleman, not just because a witness later told me that it reminded them of when Obama was yelled at in his State the Union, but because, as a scholar of the local fight for racial justice, I finally experienced the visceral pushback that those standing against district segregation surely endured. So, whoever you are, you won’t silence me, and now, as a recognized documentarian with two LA Press Awards I get to show receipts.

The following is my prepared statement. I will add additional context in parentheses when needed. In case it’s not clear, I only had one minute, I am not saying the issue is racism, but its twin sister, elitism.

“Unless our children begin to learn together, there is little hope that our people will ever learn to live together.” This Thurgood Marshall quote opened my film about the history of the PUSD. So I found it interesting that the former “Fundamental School” changed from John to Thurgood.

In the 70s this very room was often filled with angry families intimidating boards with recalls because their school’s special white communities were threatened. Every time the board caved and it took a Federal Judge to do the right thing.

In 1976 an appeal to the Pasadena bussing plan made it before Thurgood Marshall and the Supreme Court. He voted against the families wanting to resegregate.

Today’s irate parents were sold that their “special schools and programs” were “better” When their specialness is just fewer at-risk kids

(This was the moment I was interrupted. According to the last publicly available data https://resources.finalsite.net/images/v1708417987/pusdus/pfudfc10ladmrfv4wibi/2022-23_Norm_Day_Enrollment_Summary_by_School_Site.pdf Marshall has Over 300% fewer foster

Over 400% fewer homeless. They don’t break out the information for Blair’s IB program but my inquiries said it will be similar. Also, another person I spoke to said the numbers might even be lower at the high schools; it’s hard to tell as the district lumps middle and high school data together for both Marshall and Blair).

They were sold “better,” not “equal.”

Today the fight is between creating fewer, inclusive, equitable and excellent schools versus maintaining four hollowed out campuses with resource hoarding programs often serving a privileged few. So I ask you all tonight, which path would Thurgood Marshall support?

Pablo Miralles is an award-winning fi lmmaker, writer, producer, and director based in the Pasadena and Altadena area. He is best known for creating deeply localized documentaries that explore the history, culture, and social dynamics of his community.